Nutrition is key to success for gold medalist

Nutrition is key to success for gold medalist

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia are right around the corner. The Olympic athletes are in tip top shape because of training, and also how they've been eating. You might be surprised just how easy eating right is, for you.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia are right around the corner. The Olympic athletes are in tip top shape because of training, and also how they've been eating. You might be surprised just how easy eating right is, for you.

Olympians are the premier athletes in the world. All are born with special physical talents, and their training helps fine tune that natural ability. The difference between a gold medal and placing fourth can be a split second, and one very important area that does make that difference is nutrition.

”I can feel it in my energy levels, and in my performance. With experience and talking to nutrition experts, I've come up with a plan I'm going to understand, and I have the results that I've never been stronger,” said Hannah Kearney, U.S. Olympic gold medalist.Hannah Kearney won the gold medal in mogul skiing during the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver. Nutrition is part of her training, and she's been helped by U.S. Olympic committee dietitian, Susie Parker-Simmons.

“Everyone is individual. Everyone should see a dietitian so they can have a plan that's successful. If I gave them Hannah's diet, they'd probably gain weight because they're not doing the amount of training she's doing,” said Parker-Simmons.

So while you might not be 'going for gold' yourself, sensible eating and portion size are things you can control. Being self aware of what makes you feel healthy and strong is also very important. But don't think you have to give everything up.

“I will eat dessert. My mother makes a great dessert. It's really hard to turn down her desserts,” said Kearney.

Sochi is in sight, and as the world's premier athletes compete, the difference between their diet and yours can be just a few seconds...of focusing on nutrition.

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